Storage control system

• US 20040172506A1
• Filed: 03/10/2004
• Published: 09/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Gotoh, Youichi, Yokohata, Shizuo
• Granted Patent: US 6,981,118 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/158
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0611 in relation to response time
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0656 Data buffering arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0659 Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0689 Disk arrays, e.g. RAID, JBOD
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2512 Floppy disks
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2516 Hard disks
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/41 Flat as opposed to hierarchical combination, e.g. library of tapes or discs, CD changer, or groups of record carriers that together store one title
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/412 Distributed storage methods, i.e. the system may autonomously determine for a storage device that provides enough storage capacity for recording

Abstract

For each of a plurality of storage devices, there is stored a response time required from when an input/output request sent from a host processor is received until when a processing result of the request is sent to the host processor. One or a plurality of response-time upper limit values assigned respectively to one or a plurality of files to be stored in the storage device are stored and managed. The upper limit value of the file to be stored and each of the response times of the storage devices are compared, and according to the comparison result, a storage device for storing the file is selected. Through such a structure, an operational form of a storage control device may be optimized.

Claims

1. A storage control device storing data sent from a host processor connected to communicate therewith, said storage control device comprising:

means for storing a plurality of response times respectively corresponding to each of a plurality of storage devices, wherein data sent from said host processor is stored in one of said storage devices, and said response time of a storage device is a time required from when an input/output request from said host processor is received until when a processing result of said request is sent to said host processor;

means for respectively storing one or a plurality of response-time upper limit values assigned respectively to one or a plurality of files to be stored in said storage devices; and

means for comparing said upper limit value of a file to be stored with each of said response times of each said storage devices, and for determining a storage device from said plurality of storage devices for storing said file according to a result of said comparison.

2. A storage control device according to claim 1, wherein said means for determining a storage device is means for determining a storage device of which said response time is equal to or less than said upper limit value of said file to be stored.

3. A storage control device according to claim 1, wherein:

said storage control device stores one or a plurality of response-time upper limit values assigned respectively to one or a plurality of groups respectively comprising a plurality of files, or one or a plurality of response-time upper limit values assigned respectively to one or a plurality of groups respectively comprising a plurality of directories, or one or a plurality of response-time upper limit values assigned respectively to one or a plurality of groups respectively including at least one file and at least one directory; and

said storage control device comprises means for comparing said upper limit value of one of said groups to be stored with each of said response times of each said storage devices, and for determining a storage device from said plurality of storage devices for storing said group according to a result of said comparison.

4. A storage control device according to claim 2, wherein:

said storage control device stores one or a plurality of response-time upper limit values assigned respectively to one or a plurality of groups respectively comprising a plurality of files, or one or a plurality of response-time upper limit values assigned respectively to one or a plurality of groups respectively comprising a plurality of directories, or one or a plurality of response-time upper limit values assigned respectively to one or a plurality of groups respectively including at least one file and at least one directory; and

said storage control device comprises means for comparing said upper limit value of one of said groups to be stored with each of said response times of each said storage devices, and for determining a storage device from said plurality of storage devices for storing said group according to a result of said comparison.

5. A storage control device according to claim 1, wherein:

in case a plurality of host processors are connected to said storage control device, said storage control device stores response-time upper limit values assigned respectively to each of said files respectively for each of said plurality of host processors; and

said storage control device comprises means which makes said means for determining a storage device function respectively for each of said plurality of host processors.

6. A storage control device according to claim 1, wherein said storage control device uses an average disk service rate (ADSR) or a throughput instead of said response time.

7. A storage control device storing data sent from a host processor connected to communicate therewith, said storage control device comprising:

means for storing a plurality of response times respectively corresponding to each of a plurality of storage devices, wherein data sent from said host processor is stored in one of said storage devices, and said response time of a storage device is a time required from when an input/output request from said host processor is received until when a processing result of said request is sent to said host processor;

means for respectively storing one or a plurality of response-time upper limit values assigned respectively to one or a plurality of directories to be stored in said storage devices; and

means for comparing said upper limit value of a directory to he stored with each of said response times of each said storage devices, and for determining a storage device from said plurality of storage devices for storing said directory according to a result of said comparison.

8. A storage control device according to claim 7, wherein said means for determining a storage device is means for determining a storage device of which said response time is equal to or less than said upper limit value of said directory to be stored.

9. A storage control device according to claim 7, wherein:

said storage control device stores one or a plurality of response-time upper limit values assigned respectively to one or a plurality of groups respectively comprising a plurality of files, or one or a plurality of response-time upper limit values assigned respectively to one or a plurality of groups respectively comprising a plurality of directories, or one or a plurality of response-time upper limit values assigned respectively to one or a plurality of groups respectively including at least one file and at least one directory; and

said storage control device comprises means for comparing said upper limit value of one of said groups to be stored with each of said response times of each said storage devices, and for determining a storage device from said plurality of storage devices for storing said group according to a result of said comparison.

10. A storage Control device according to claim 8, wherein:

said storage control device stores one or a plurality of response-time upper limit values assigned respectively to one or a plurality of groups respectively comprising a plurality of files, or one or a plurality of response-time upper limit values assigned respectively to one or a plurality of groups respectively comprising a plurality of directories, or one or a plurality of response-time upper limit values assigned respectively to one or a plurality of groups respectively including at least one file and at least one directory; and

said storage control device comprises means for comparing said upper limit value of one of said groups to be stored with each of said response times of each said storage devices, and for determining a storage device from said plurality of storage devices for storing said group according to a result of said comparison.

11. A storage control device according to claim 7, wherein:

in case a plurality of host processors are connected to said storage control device, said storage control device stores response-time upper limit values assigned respectively to each of said directories respectively for each of said plurality of host processors; and

said storage control device comprises means which makes said means for determining a storage device function respectively for each of said plurality of host processors.

12. A storage control device according to claim 7, wherein said storage control device uses an average disk service rate (ADSR) or a throughput instead of said response time.

13. A storage control device storing data sent from a host processor connected to communicate therewith, said storage control device comprising:

means for storing a plurality of response times respectively corresponding to each of a plurality of storage devices, wherein data sent from said host processor is stored in one of said storage devices, and said response time of a storage device is a time required from when an input/output request from said host processor is received until when a processing result of said request is sent to said host processor;

means for respectively storing one or a plurality of response-time upper limit values assigned respectively to one or a plurality of files to be stored in said storage devices; and

means which, in case there is an input/output request from said host processor in view of one of said files, compares said upper limit value of said file with each of said response times of each said storage devices, and determines a processing priority for said input/output request according to a result of said comparison.

14. A storage control device according to claim 13, wherein:

in case a plurality of host processors are connected to said storage control device, said storage control device stores response-time upper limit values assigned respectively to each of said files respectively for each of said plurality of host processors; and

said storage control device comprises means which, in case there is an input/output request from said host processor in view of one of said files, compares said upper limit value of said file with each of said response times of each said storage devices respectively for each of said plurality of host processors, and determines a processing priority for said input/output request according to a result of said comparison respectively for each of said plurality of host processors.

15. A storage control device according to claim 13, wherein said storage control device uses an average disk service rate (ADSR) or a throughput instead of said response time.